[r3t1awr3yd]

Alright.

A little background.

I started driving at the age of 13 under the watch of a crazed Korean mother who read an article in a Korean newspaper about a 12 year old son who saved his mother's life when she had a heart attack behind the wheel. Luckily, the 12 year old boy had learned to drive from his parents and was able to drive his mother to the hospital safely and she lived.

So though I've been driving legally for 10 years, I've been actively behind the wheel for another 4 years on top of that. So I haven't been driving very long at all but long enough to notice some things...


What happened to driving?

What happened to leaving 2-3 seconds worth of space between your car and the car in front of you?

What happened to minimize brake usage by going speeds that are reasonable for the road? (which may or may not be above the speed limit)

What happened to using your signal to inform other drivers of your intentions instead of tipping drivers off to cut you off?

What happened to courtesy on the road?

What happened to judging the light and figuring out a reasonable speed to go to either make the light or stop safely?


Sorry for the mini rant, I just don't understand what happened to the common sense that used to rule the road. I would have been hit by a car last week if the guy didn't have antilock brakes. Maybe we're under-compensating for all of the technology we have in our cars. ???

 

[mg66]

I just treat every one else on the road as a total moron and has seemed to work for me for 33 years riding/driving.

 

[RandyO]

I can't control how other people drive, but I still follow those rules

if you do, you will rarely even have a close call

 

[ASCSurveyor]

To keep it simple...

NO ENFORCMENT OF BASIC TRAFFIC LAWS BY THOSE WHO SERVE AND PROTECT.

You can make all the laws in the world, but if they're not upheld, they're pointless. Constantly I see red lights run, a few times in front of an LEO, and NOTHING IS DONE. It finally takes some major f-cking Greek tragedy, where a small child is killed, or a pedestrian is struck while crossing the intersection before something is actually done.

People don't use their signals because they don't care. Nobody tells them to use them, or reminds them. They know where they're going, and that's all that matters. There is no enforcement to use them, unless a cop catches you speeding or you're in an accident. At that point, it's just one more thing they tack on to increase the fine.

People don't stop because there's no enforcement. People think they look and see the coast is clear. After all, if you can add up all those few seconds you save by not coming to a complete stop, you can get home about 3 minutes sooner and sit yer fatass down on the couch to watch Maury.

Everyone thinks they're a great driver and a safe driver. But let's face it, unless your skills are practiced over a period of time, they're lost. We're tested on our basic skills of operating a motor vehicle ONCE over our lifetime of driving. And we usually do that on a vehicle that only represents a small class of vehicles. The same goes for motorcycles. You may learn on a 250 or 500, then after a few miles, feel you're perfectly able to safely operate and fully conrtol a machine that can go close to 200mph.

We need more regulation and enforcement if we want things to get better. It's quite obvious that we're not able to keep it under control ourselves.

 

[weasel]

2 words...

COMMON SENSE...

nowdays common sense AIN'T!!!

when i'm riding, i think back to an article i read about SA, situational awareness, verry big in the Air Force, makes way to much sense, i ALWAYS assume that THEY are out to get me/us, works for me..



and, how 'bout the people the block the intersection 'cause they 'beat' the light, and then give you that dumas 'ooops' sorry look!!! that really fries my arse!!

 

[J-Dog]

To keep it simple...

NO ENFORCMENT OF BASIC TRAFFIC LAWS BY THOSE WHO SERVE AND PROTECT.

2 words...

COMMON SENSE...

nowdays common sense AIN'T!!!

^^^ What they said. Also, people are pricks.

 

[r3t1awr3yd]

We're tested on our basic skills of operating a motor vehicle ONCE over our lifetime of driving.

It's quite obvious that we're not able to keep it under control ourselves.

I agree with the first line but not the second. I think by following your large and in bold suggestion, the second line will eventually correct itself.

I agree with the first line and have proposed the idea of multiple tests over a persons life to friends close to DMV work in the past. I can't stand how many accidents I've physically seen where the issue was an person who was so old, they didn't realize they were in reverse until they tires wouldn't get traction on the windshield of the person behind them... in the best buy parking lot.

if you do, you will rarely even have a close call

That's exactly the difference between my g/f's driving and mine lol. No close calls when I'm behind the wheel. I close my eyes almost every time I'm in her car lol.

 

[DANCOOL123]

That's exactly the difference between my g/f's driving and mine lol. No close calls when I'm behind the wheel. I close my eyes almost every time I'm in her car lol.
__________________
+1

 

[eaglefrq]

We have become a world where everyone is in big hurry to get where they are going. Plus, everyone seems to have the attitude of "I'm the most important person in the world and everyone better get out of my way".

When dealing with these idiots, I always try and remember...KARMA

 

[ASCSurveyor]

I agree with the first line but not the second. I think by following your large and in bold suggestion, the second line will eventually correct itself.

Sit at any intersection without a traffic light and tell me that we are able to make our own rational decisions on how to safely operate a motor vehicle and keep the flow of traffic going. I've seen people litterally almost lock up because their brain cannot compute all the input. There are people out there who can't read or do simple math, yet they're able to pass a 10 question test and are assumed to retain all the laws and events questioned in that test for 50 years.

You know where I hate working? Not near a cliff, in a forest filled with ticks, or on an old army base with burried munitions. Public roads. Working on the street is the scariest, most dangerous place I ever work, because people SUCK at driving and seem to have no understanding of right and wrong.

That's exactly the difference between my g/f's driving and mine lol. No close calls when I'm behind the wheel. I close my eyes almost every time I'm in her car lol.

And there in lies the problem. TELL HER SHE SUCKS AT DRIVING!!!!!! Keep telling her. Have her friends tell her. Or, set up a meeting with an officer. She won't get better, and I guarantee that an accident won't even teach her. This is a prime example of people not being able to handle the issue themselves, and why we need more enforcement.

 

[RandyO]

You know where I hate working? Not near a cliff, in a forest filled with ticks, or on an old army base with burried munitions. Public roads. Working on the street is the scariest, most dangerous place I ever work, because people SUCK at driving and seem to have no understanding of right and wrong.

I understand your fears..... I have driving, riding or doing jobs down country,

luckily people in my area are still safe and honest, last week, I left my instrument setup on the centerline of the road with no cones while I was 400-500 feet away triming line in the woods

 

[ASCSurveyor]

I understand your fears..... I have driving, riding or doing jobs down country,

luckily people in my area are still safe and honest, last week, I left my instrument setup on the centerline of the road with no cones while I was 400-500 feet away triming line in the woods

Sadly, we can't do that around here. It would either get A) Stolen or B) hit. I swear to God, working on or near a road is, by far, my biggest fear around here.

Sad part is, everyone knows traffic here sucks. Everyone complains about the same thing. It's all over the news, in the papers, on the radio. But nothing is ever done about it! :BangHead:

 

[bighammer]

I think those basic rules went out the window when cell phone use and everybody being in a big hurry took over.

 

[nevenelestate]

lack of training is all it comes down to, like the OP said your mother taught you, now its just read this book take this test and leave me alone.

The majority of problems in our society come down to lack of parenting, fortunately my parents were in the tail end of the "we care about our kids" phase so i was taught how to drive before being unleashed on the road with a free car and no consequences for my actions. When i did have my first accident I had to get a new car, and i wasn't allowed to drive for a while, not because the police took my license but because my paretns did. parents need to start spanking their kids again, not abuse but 'pain reinforced learning'

 

[BKK Jack]

One word to add to the others: CONGESTION

As many of you know, I lived, drove, and rode both a motorcycle and a bicycle in Bangkok, Thailand for six years. The traffic there is insane. It's basically anarchy. The traffic in Northern VA and DC isn't nearly as bad, and consequently, believe it or not, there is a lot more courtesy extended here than there.

When I go to Ohio, where I grew up in a fairly small town, I don't notice much of a change from 30 years ago, when I started driving. People are still courteous, and generally follow all the driving etiquette I was taught.

Cell phones have something to do with it. Just about every time I see someone doing something really stupid, they are on the phone, but I think congestion is the major contributing factor to the general lack of courtesy and etiquette.

 

[frick]

Lack of responsibility is a terrible thing.

And I don't know how the three second rule etc. are being farmed for low-fat burgers...

 

[Exodus5]

I want to know when people stopped responding to the "flash to pass" signal. I can't tell you how many times I've had to pass on the right because the douche in the left lane won't move over even though I flash to tell him to "move over, please".

 

[Mandalorian]

I have this same complaint in my everyday life. Thats why I focus on getting and keeping jobs close to home. My last job of 5 years was 6 mins away and the one I have now is 10. Granted, it doesnt give me alot of time to listen to Howard Stern, or even to warm up the car, but I have the pleasure of not getting too uptight in traffic.

Wally, I agree, courtesy has gone out the window with our fast paced lives, everyone's egotistical "I am the greatest" mentality, cell phones, TEXTING, and oversized SUVs.

I try to do my best to control myself and to not put myself or others in situations, but take my 10 minute ride home today. I have a small SUV. The lady in a Volvo behind me keeps moving over in the lane to see around me. Granted, ok, it is a way to gauge traffic and to anticipate what is going to happen, but she believes it is also in her right to drive up my butt because she is focused around me. So what do I do? I move over to block her sight. Probably not the smartest move, but she backed off, mission accomplished. Tried it a few more times and I counter blocked, until she got around me. Then, get this, she pulls next to me and mouths, "I cant see around you" and takes her glasses on and off. WTF? No shite lady, so I checked to see if my cloaking device is on, and sure enough, like ususal, its not. I give her the you gotta be kidding me look, smile, and drive on.

I pull up to a light. It is usually a long one, so I changed the radio, look up and noticed it had turned green. Well the guy behind me goes into a spazam. You would have sworn I just boinked his mom. He taligated me for a while and then backed off. I again tried to laugh this off, but when I got home, I told the wife to give me a few minutes to cool off.

Then I poured a stiff drink.

Sorry for the rant, but this was 10 mins in stop and go traffic and it has now driven me to alcoholism.

RK

 

[nevenelestate]

I want to know when people stopped responding to the "flash to pass" signal. I can't tell you how many times I've had to pass on the right because the douche in the left lane won't move over even though I flash to tell him to "move over, please".

They're just trying to help keep you within the speed limits, think of it as them helping you :lmao: that pisses me off so much, but i also lived in Italy for three years and in Europe when you're on the highway you pass on the left then get over to the right again, no one rides the left lane except BMW station wagons going 130mph and thats cause they are going fast

 

[pne]

a poor driver education and licensing system. You have to keep in mind some of these people barely passed their tests. And they never have to return to get any sort of training or recertification again.